Mountain Bike National Championships begin July 17 at Mount Snow

West Dover, Vt. (July 14, 2008)— The 2008 USA Cycling Mountain Bike National Championships will return to Mount Snow Resort in West Dover, Vt. for the second year in a row, July 17-20. More than 1,000 athletes are already registered to compete for a Stars-and-Stripes jersey in seven different styles of off-road racing, including the four riders set to represent the United States in the upcoming Olympic Games in Beijing, China.

2008 Olympians Adam Craig (Bend, Ore.) and Mary McConneloug (Chilmark, Mass.) will be on hand to defend their 2007 national titles in the pro Olympic-style cross country contest, along with Todd Wells (Durango, Colo.) and Georgia Gould (Fort Collins, Colo.) who have also qualified for Beijing. Fresh off the 2008 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships, Cole Bangert (Twin Lakes, Colo.) and Kathy Pruitt (Santa Cruz, Calif.) are set to defend their Stars-and-Stripes jersey in the pro downhill races on Sunday.

With over 2,000 competitors expected to compete across beginner, sport, expert, semi-pro and professional categories, the 2008 USA Cycling Mountain Bike National Championships will also feature several additional disciplines of mountain bike competition including Short Track Cross Country, Dual Slalom, Super D, Observed Trials and Singlespeed Cross Country. Although on-line registration is now closed, on-site registration will be available for a nominal fee. For more information regarding on-site registration, click here.

Utilizing largely the same routes as the 2007 competition, athletes can expect demanding and technical courses that will challenge even the sport’s best. This year’s cross country competition will cover the same five-mile loop as in 2007 with race lengths from five miles for the 12 & under juniors, to 25 miles for the professionals. For a complete list of race lengths and lap counts, click here. The 2008 downhill competition will feature two different courses with one specifically suited for the beginner and sport classes and the other designed to challenge the skills of the nation’s top pro gravity riders. Click here for course maps for both the cross country and downhill competitions.

In addition to the various off-road cycling competitions, USA Cycling is set to present the four U.S. Olympic mountain bikers with their official Olympic jersey during a special ceremony at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, July 19. At that time the national governing body will also be announcing the dates and host venue of the 2009-10 USA Cycling Mountain Bike National Championships.

With a 20-year history in hosting world-class mountain bike competitions including UCI World Cups and National Mountain Bike Series events, Mount Snow’s hosting of last year’s USA Cycling National Championships marked the first time the resort hosted a stand-alone national championship event since USA Cycling introduced the format in 2004. With a reputation for having some of the most technical terrain in the country, Mount Snow is honored to be the first East Coast venue ever to host the USA Cycling Mountain Bike National Championships.

About USA Cycling

Recognized by the United States Olympic Committee and the Union Cycliste Internationale, USA Cycling is the official governing body for all disciplines of competitive cycling in the United States, including road, track, mountain bike, BMX and cyclo-cross. As a membership-based organization and sanctioning body, USA Cycling consists of 64,000+ members, including 57,000 competitive cyclists, 1,500 coaches, 4,000 student-athletes, 2,200 officials, 350 professional cyclists, and 200 certified mechanics. USA Cycling also sanctions 2,500 competitive and non-competitive organized cycling events throughout the United States annually, as well as 1,800 clubs and teams. Associations of USA Cycling include the United States Cycling Federation (road, track & cyclo-cross), the National Off-Road Bicycle Association (mountain bike), the BMX Association, the National Collegiate Cycling Association and the United States Professional Racing Organization. USA Cycling is also responsible for the identification, development, support and promotion of American cyclists through various athletic initiatives and programs including the USA Cycling National Development Team, the USA Cycling Women’s National Team, the USA Cycling Junior Development Team, Talent Identification and Regional Development Camps, domestic and international race calendars, direct athlete funding and support programs, and educational camps and seminars. USA Cycling also fields and supports U.S. National Teams for various international events, including the Olympic Games, World Championships, Pan American Games, Continental Championship and World Cups across all levels and disciplines of competitive cycling. USA cycling further supports grass roots and locally-based initiatives through its 32 Local Associations and comprehensive network of licensed and certified coaches and officials. Additionally, USA Cycling conducts National Championship events for amateur and professional cyclists, awarding more than 600 national titles annually to men and women in junior, U23, masters, elite, professional and paralympic categories throughout the various disciplines of competitive cycling. To learn more about USA Cycling, visit www.usacycling.org. For media-related or general inquiries, please contact USA Cycling Director of Communications, Andy Lee at 719-866-4867 or alee@usacycling.org.

This Article Published July 15, 2008
For more information contact: asmith -at- usacycling dot org

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